Hybrid::First Snow
by Chronic Guardian
Summary: There are upsides to ignorance. Namely, that it makes sharing that first experience all the sweeter. Unabashed Ruember fluff for the Holidays. [One-Shot][Hybrid/Mixed Feelings]


**Hybrid/First Snow**

}+By Chronic Guardian+{

 **A Possible EU/AU Oneshot Spin-Off of Hybrid/Mixed Feelings starring...**

 _Kiryu Rueban, 1_ _st_ _in class._

In a way, the words didn't mean as much now. He was even tempted to ease up and let someone else have first for a while. He'd done much worse than second or third in the past, it wasn't the end of the world.

Still, regaining the title as the first half of the year came to a close was satisfying. The world was back as people expected it to be. Well, after they'd gotten over his identity as a Kiryu and all. Now he had more admirers than ever, and most of them twice as shallow.

Rueban sighed and loosened his scarf a little as he turned from the board. He would still be walking home, hence why he'd bundled up a little warmer for the season. Father had tried to offer a lift from the family chauffeur, but Rueban took a certain pleasure in accomplishing these mundane things himself.

Besides, it gave him more time with a friend who wasn't after him for his reputation.

"Am I _never_ gonna move up?"

Slumping in defeat, Hanekoma Amber cut a figure like a humped question mark as she stumbled along beside him, her backpack wagging from side to side with her gait.

"Oh, cheer up," Rueban chided, giving the her long, blonde hair a playful ruffle. The girl grasped at his hand and straightened up, shooting him an undignified pout. "You're not getting any worse, are you?"

"Rueban, I _can't_ get any worse," She grumbled, readjusting her headphones to compensate for his gesture of affection. She'd switched out her usual pair for a fuzzy earmuff-style setup today. "I'm already bottom of the class, remember? Ugh... maybe I should've just gone for independent studies. At this rate I'll be lucky if your parents don't step in to keep you away from my contagiously bad grades."

"Hmmm... Can't say that they will," Rueban responded with a light smile. He and his parents had a very well defined understanding worked out around the girl, and it was doubtful that they would sever connections unless it could be clinically proven she would completely ruin Rueban's future; Not to mention that mother adored her in the kitchen. "Although they _are_ currently considering a private tutor. Would you like to see the catalog?"

"I'd like to see that smirk wiped off your face," Amber retorted. She straightened up and hiked her backpack straps before letting out another grieved sigh. "Oh man... what's Uncle gonna say?"

Rueban snickered before adding a little gravel to his voice to imitate the WildKat barista. "'Hey, don't sweat it, kiddo! If it all falls through, you can just brew beans for me! Enjoy the moment!'"

Amber balked. "Uncle H does _not_ sound like that!"

"So my voice is a little more naturally suave, sue me."

"Only if you're paying for the lawyer, because I'm gonna need a da—"

"—A darn good one to stand a chance?" Rueban cut her off, still smiling. He played it as a game, but he still would rather keep her from making a habit of casual language. It was one of the few more assertive points of their friendship that he pressed.

"That's what I was gonna say!" She answered indignantly. "Do you _have_ to assume I have no filters?"

"Well..." He put a hand to his chin and slipped into a mock-serious tone. "I've yet to collect conclusive evidence to the contrary."

Amber rolled her eyes and waved it off. "Whaaatever."

Rueban smiled again as he gave her a sidelong look. _Still the same old Amber..._ He had a few more quips up his sleeve that he would've liked to pull out, but his better manners said to save it for the sake of their friendship.

All the same, she _did_ seem to need some cheering up; And that wasn't an easy task with Amber. Most girls would be pacified by a trip to the mall. Of course, most girls would be pacified by spending the afternoon with the dashing Kiryu boy, so Amber was already an outlier on that count. Food didn't work either; Amber was too suspicious to accept anything that seemed like a peace offering. She didn't like being "bought over" as a personal rule.

Luckily, there was always talking. It took longer and she was usually pretty irritable for the good majority of it, but in the end it was the best remedy Rueban had found.

Besides, today he had a trump card up his sleeve.

"So, Hanekoma."

"Mmm?" She grunted and shot a glare.

"First winter in Shibuya, right?"

Amber paused to mull it over, slowing her pace as she frowned and tilted her head to the side. "...What's your point?"

"Oh, just wondering how you're taking to the weather."

"...It's not quite as bad as the rain," She answered after a moment. "But it's still pretty da-ah-achoo!"

She slowly unburied her face from her gloves, which had reflexively flown up to cover her mouth, and blinked.

"Awww... Have I ever told you you sneeze like a kitten?" Rueban grinned and fished a handkerchief out of his pocket for her to use.

She snatched the cloth from his hand and swiped at her nose with it. "Shut up, Kiryu, I wasn't finished."

"Right, please: proceed."

"I dunno," she sighed, then pressed the handkerchief to her face so she could clear the remaining mucus out. When she was done blowing her nose, she worked her mouth and spit to the side. For most people, Rueban's polite smile would be hiding a slight disdain for such actions. In her case though, there was a certain charm just because of how honest and innocent it was. "I just..." she paused as if another sneeze was coming, then continued when it didn't. "It gets better after this, right? Having bad grades stinks pretty bad. Having bad grades _and_ a cold..."

"Every season has its perks," Rueban shrugged. He put a glance to the low-hanging clouds, trying to estimate if he'd reached optimal timing or if they'd just hang there all day. They'd given it an eighty percent chance on the weather report, but Kiryu Rueban of all people knew better than to trust predictions. Still, he was hoping the weather would come through, just this once.

"Okaaay..." She raised a cynical eyebrow and stuffed her hands up her armpits to keep warm. "Example?"

"Colds are better than allergies, for one," Rueban was stalling, but he wasn't about to let on just yet. It was no fun to tell her about the main event if he couldn't show it to her too. "Spring's going to be dreadful if you turn out to have hayfever."

"Ha ha," Amber returned dryly. "Try again."

"There's also ice skating."

Amber shuddered. "Ugh... don't remind me. How the heck do you move around in those things? You were like a freakin' ballerina."

"Ballerin _o,_ thank you. And trust me, Hanekoma, you just need practice. Ice skating is much more fun when unassociated with a bruised rear end."

"Yeah, I'll bet. Next?"

"Hot chocolate," Rueban offered.

"Hot... chocolate?"

"Yes, Hanekoma. Why? You didn't expect someone like me to—?"

"Doesn't it get melty?"

"Yes, Hanekoma that's the—Oh, right..." Once again, Amber's limited context for common traditions was making itself apparent. He'd half expect her uncle to have his own special recipe for his cafe, but perhaps the man was a little too much of a coffee aficionado to let the lighter beverage on his menu. "Remind me to whip you up a glass the next time you're over."

"Remind me to politely say 'no'," Amber sighed. "I think we've learned our lesson that you in the kitchen is still a work in progress."

"Remind the maids then," Rueban relented. Her bluntness was too refreshing for him to mind. "In the meantime, I suppose I must try again?"

"If you really feel the need to, I guess."

He briefly considered suggesting mistletoe just to get a rise, but the joke would probably be lost on her and beneath his better judgment besides.

So he went down the list, occasionally explaining the significance of a pick, all the while carefully avoiding the one he was waiting on the weather for. Despite his numerous upward glances, the monotonous gray clouds remained uncooperative.

Still, by the time he'd walked her home to the WildKat Amber was a little closer to her usual self (or at least more determined to try again despite her class ranking), so it wasn't a total loss. He snagged a cup of the house blend for the road, and Uncle H insisted on loading him up with a bag of fresh baked donuts before sending him home. Rueban's mother probably wouldn't care for the calories, but he knew the staff would appreciate the gesture.

By the time he got home it was just getting to the duskier side of evening and the skies were still dormant. Rueban dropped his warm, greasy package and a few compliments with the housekeeping department before attending dinner and going off to finish his homework. While father was a wealthy man, he had a stern personal work ethic and that included Rueban managing his own schoolwork without unnecessary assistance.

It was around seven, Rueban was a little over halfway through his workload, when the first few flakes hit the window.

He stopped and allowed himself a wry smile at the irony of waiting all day for this moment. It still had a certain effect on him, being _his_ favorite part of the season, even if it was just crystalized water. There was something delicate and beautiful about the slow dance of snow flakes sparkling in the city lights.

Then again, saying so out loud wasn't really something most people would expect from Kiryu Rueban. It took certain company to fully enjoy the simple pleasure in innocent honesty.

His phone began to ring in his pocket, plinking out the opening bars to Amber's ringtone. Without looking away from the window, he took it out and hit answer.

"Hey, Rueban?" Her voice, though fuzzy from transmission, was still unmistakably caught in awe.

His smile deepened. "Why yes, Dear Partner?"

"I think you might've missed something on that list earlier."

"Oh?"

"What the heck is going on outside?"

"Oh, silly me, did I forget to mention snow?"

"Either that or I wasn't paying attention. Would you... I mean... is it too late to take a walk?"

He laughed. "Don't you have a cold?"

"Hush, I'll wear a scarf. Besides, we won't go far."

"You might regret this in the morning," he warned. The gesture was entirely rhetorical though, he was already selecting a jacket, gloves, and scarf from his wardrobe.

"Rueban... it's a good thing we're friends."

"And why's that, Hanekoma?"

"Because otherwise I'd be outside already, numbskull. Now get your butt over here, I need a stuffy blowhard to share the moment with."

"Whatever you say, dear."

Kiryu Rueban slipped on his jacket and quietly affirmed to himself that no difference in class ranking could separate the joy they would share that night.

- _fin-_

 **A/N: Tadaa! So there's a little something to tide over the Ruember fans while they move to the backburner for the Reaper's arc of Hybrid! This fluffy little one-shot was done partly on a whim, but also partly in response to** _ **THE FIRST RUEMBER FAN ART OF ALL TIME!**_ *Throws fireworks in the air* **That's right! Check out the search results for TWEWY + Hypechan + Rueban on Tumblr and groggle at the amazingness of Rueban and Amber actually *Gasp* holding hands! (Chapter 12, I remember those days...) Courtesy of the amazing Your-Little-Ninja. Needless to say, my secret homeless romantic side jumped on the inspiration to pay a little tribute to all the Ruember fans out there. You can also find the accompanying illustration for this story over on my deviant Art page. Y'know... if you're interested.**

 **However, the third and final reason for this posting is because Shibuya Operation – Story Storm is finally in season again! Feel like a writing challenge? Then come join us for another season of fun, friendship, and fabricating stories down at Scramble Ramen. Check out the Shibuya Operation – Story Storm forum for more details, or just give one of the members (such as myself) a PM and we'll be glad to chat with you.**

 **Anyway, that's about it. No more Ruember in this universe for a while... but if you're alright with it being in the background, then give Deck: J0KER, which I will hopefully be finishing this winter, a shot! You also probably noticed I did traditional name arrangement this time, which is not something that happens in Hybrid** **Because CG is Lame.** **That's a nod to Aviantei, possibly the biggest Rueban fan in existence. Go give her stories a look when you get the chance. Whatever happens, do not give up hope, and may the joy of the season be with you.**

 **Blessings,**

 **-CG**


End file.
